You'll Find Out (1940)

The manager of Kay Kyser's band books them for a birthday party bash for an heiress at a spooky mansion, where sinister forces try to kill her.

Director:

David Butler

Writers:

James V. Kern (screen play), David Butler (story)

Stars:

Kay Kyser, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kay Kyser	...	Kay Kyser
Peter Lorre	...	Karl Fenninger
Boris Karloff	...	Judge Spencer Mainwaring
Bela Lugosi	...	Prince Saliano
Helen Parrish	...	Janis Bellacrest
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Chuck Deems
Alma Kruger	...	Aunt Margo Bellacrest
Joseph Eggenton	...	Jurgen
Kay Kyser Band	...	Kay Kyser's Band (as Kay Kyser's Band)
Ginny Simms	...	Ginny Simms
Harry Babbitt	...	Harry Babbitt
M.A. Bogue	...	Ish Kabibble (as Ish Kabibble)
Sully Mason	...	Sully Mason

Storyline

Kay Kyser and his orchestra are hired to entertain at the birthday party of a young heiress at a creepy old mansion, where they uncover a plot against her life. Who is the villain? The sinister judge? The phony medium? The skeptical psychologist? You'll find out.

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | sinister | heiress | birthday party | mansion | 

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Taglines:

Whoopie-doops and rap my table! if it isn't the Old Professor himself, with those bad, Bad Humor Boys...in a baffle-daffle seance in swing!...A show as funny as it sounds, as shivery as it seems, and as looney as it looks!...Don't miss it!

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Musical | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many props and miniatures from King Kong (1933) appear in this fellow RKO production. In a secret chamber are the Willis O'Brien models of the Triceratops, a spider from the famous deleted crevasse scene as well as other creatures and island native props.

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Goofs

When Kay Kyser is in the secret passageway, the lighting changes frequently.

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Quotes

Kay Kyser: [to a contestant] Now, wh-what;s the difference between a weasel, an easel, and a measle? What's a measle? Go ahead and break out with it.

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Crazy Credits

"The College of Musical Knowledge" is an on-screen opening acting credit, but its members are the studio audience, since Kay Kyser refers to them as "students."

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Connections

References Pinocchio (1940)

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Soundtracks

Pop! Goes the Weasel
(uncredited)
Traditional 17th century English song
Played by the Kay Kyser Band at the radio show

User Reviews

Old Dark House film disguised as a musical

Despite the emphasis on music, via Kay Kyser & the College of Knowledge, this is a true Old Dark House film. There's a very large, spooky old mansion, a thunderstorm, secret passageways, comedy, mystery, attempts at murder, a butler (who, oddly enough, is never a suspect), creepy characters, etc. In the "creepy characters" category, they don't get any creepier than Boris, Bela, & Peter (in his first film in the horror genre). Boris plays, well, Boris, & he doesn't have quite enough to do here. But his presence alone adds weight to the film. Bela is quite creepy as a "Prince" who conducts seances. Peter (who looks very spooky here & is even thinner than in earlier movies) is very good as always; just watching him roll those big round eyes is worth the price of admission. For my taste, there's too much emphasis on Kay Kyser (who is the "star" of this film), who's good but becomes distracting after a while. Kyser fans will enjoy his role, as he gets to display all of his many talents here. Ginny Simms (a vocalist in the Kyser band) is lovely in a supporting role. This film is a real treat to Boris, Bela & Peter fans. I didn't know of its existence until very recently, & I was quite pleased to see these guys at this stage in their careers in a movie I had never seen before. I rate it 7/10.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 November 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Old Professor

Filming Locations:

RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$353,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1